Where My Art Was Compared to Avatar: A Remarkable Experience
The recent art exhibition was nothing short of extraordinary! Attendees marveled at the diverse and high-quality works showcased by a multitude of talented artists. As a volunteer during the show’s final day, I enjoyed great conversations with visitors of the show. The day was brilliant, with a blue autumn sky and a lively crowd. Among the pieces on display, my artwork titled “Mutual Affection” stood out, garnering enthusiastic feedback and piquing curiosity.
One visitor drew a fascinating parallel, likening the underwater corals in my painting to something reminiscent of the movie “Avatar.” As a huge fan of the film, this comparison nearly moved me to tears.
Interestingly, my deliberate attempt to conceal the central theme within each painting seems to have worked exceptionally well. The two dragon leaf sea horses were camouflaging well and, once pointed out, became impossible to unsee. I have blurred the background in the second image of the painting to point them out here.
Perhaps you are already familiar with my work or not, but be reminded: There’s magic waiting to be discovered beyond the canvas.
About this exhibition: What has the past year been other than a global roller coaster of emotions? Surprise, Fear, Hope, Anger, Love, Sadness, Compassion, all whirled together with topics like Global warming, poverty, pollution, animal cruelty, pandemics and political madness – to name a few. Although important to know and care about, these can be a bit overwhelming and become toxic if we don’t give the same attention to positive things in our lives.
I express a spectrum of emotions in my new work through images of nature, mostly underwater settings. I believe that nature is playing an essential role in our lives for growing and nourishing our positive emotions and help us embracing the other side of the spectrum.
Nature has a special little trick box to help us recharge our energies and at the same time reflects and confronts our feelings. Our brains plot by assimilating emotions to what we see and experience (Who hasn’t seen a Dolphin “smile” before?).
I admire nature’s beauty with this new series of paintings and at the same time project human feelings onto them to stimulate a reflection in the viewer.
To see the images in full size, visit the gallery.
Nostalgia in paradise Sitting in our little bubble we still feel the ‘Weltschmerz’ weighing on our shoulders. Balancing the strength of the current with taking moments to enjoy what we have is important. Like a seahorse lazily swaying forth and back, carefree, but still vigilant.
60×40 cm, NZD 1,050
Serenity Love and optimism create a calm environment that allows us to lean back or immerse ourselves and enjoy the moment.
76x102cm, NZD 2,400
Joy – Jolly Jelly The small things in life often bring us the greatest joy. Keep that inner child close!
30x40cm, NZD 480
Strength in times of Turmoil There are numerous emotions that find their way to us through experiences and moments. If negative emotions are given too much room to grow, they can spiral us into turmoil. They are part of us so we can learn how to embrace them with the strength we build over time. The more pieces we add, the more we can grow.
102x76cm, NZD 2,400
Surprise in the Dark Little pleasant moments brighten our day when we least expect it – like seeing an octopus during a night dive.
50x76cm, NZD 1,600
Growing We are growing our entire life. It doesn’t suddenly stop at 40. Yes, we are growing old after we grew tall, but we also grow to be wiser, and we grow to learn about our emotions. New research suggests that new synapses between brain cells continue growing throughout our lifetimes if properly stimulated.
40x30cm, NZD 420
Heimweh The German word to express the longing feeling for our loved ones. With family and friends overseas and borders closed it only grows stronger. It is a wonderful to have people who we can miss.
30x40cm, NZD 480
Flower’s expression Grief can take many shapes and forms. It can be paralysing, or it can be a maze that is hard to solve and break free from. But when we rediscover its center, we find that the beautiful and precious moment or person whose loss made us sad in the first place, is still there in our memories.
40x30cm, NZD 420
The prey Woven into our DNA fear is a powerful emotion, sometimes whispering, sometimes screaming. Even if the mind logically knows what is going on and how we can manage a situation, this feeling digs its claws deep into us once you allow it to enter.
25x30cm, NZD 360
Riding the Current Trust – Finding someone we can trust is special and sweet. When we trust the current of life now and then and allow ourselves to float with it, it brings us to wonderful, unexpected places.
50x100cm, NZD 2,200
Distraction What is it about distractions that is so enticing and entertaining that it keeps us from what we were planning to do? Sometimes getting lost in the detail is…. Oh! A seahorse…..
45x45cm, NZD 690
Harmony When everything is perfectly balanced at the right moment, right time and right place we have this sweet feeling of happiness. They are often small like this painting and sometimes overlooked, but appear luckily often if we take the time to see them.
30x40cm, NZD 480
Mutual Affection Mutual affection and respect are at the center of love and friendship. Our relationships invigorate and enrich our lives, enable us to grow as a person and to experience what it means to be human. Once there is a foundation, this tender, delicate feeling will grow into something strong and endurable. 91x122cm, NZD 3,400
Anticipation The moment just before an action is a sweet spot. The silence that briefly follows a surprise until we realise what is happening prickles under our skin. What’s going to happen next?
It was a busy lead-up to this day, the 28 April 2021. Juggling between work, group art shows, house-hunting and social life I worked tirelessly on the new pieces for my third solo-show.
But all that preparation and planning since October 2020 did not prevent me from the mad rush that I encountered one day before the opening night, sitting over the brochure and finalising the last words of my descriptions. The paintings were hanging, carefully curated by Alan (the gallery owner) and myself.
In the end, it was a great success. Seeing the gallery filled with art-lovers who were interested in my new work was exhilarating.
“Natural Emotions” is about understanding our own feelings and the role nature can play in our emotional lives.
You can read about the story behind “Natural emotions” and each piecehere.
To see the images in original size, visit the gallery.
The summer exhibition a couple of months ago went very well, both my paintings were sold. One of my favorites now has a new home in Taranaki.
When I applied with two of my biggest paintings for the Autumn exhibition, I couldn’t believe that they got one of the best spots in the whole gallery! It was a great show at the NZAFA Gallery at the waterfront. Over the last 3-4 years I have observed that these exhibitions are increasingly embracing abstract art, which is very encouraging.
Christmas time in New Zealand is normally sunny and warm. Living in Wellington, that is not always the case. But there are still great things to do and two of them are the current exhibitions at the NZAFA and the Kiwi Art House Galleries. I especially like that there is more abstract work on display in the NZAFA Summer exhibition. The Kiwi Art House Christmas exhibition focuses on small to medium sized paintings that easily fit under the Christmas tree. Both exhibition are on until mid January 2020.
I was stoked when the organisers of the UNA NZ climate action event approached me to display some art at the Botanic Gardens in Wellington NZ on the day. As I am passionate about nature and our impact on it, I agreed immediately.
The event was beautifully designed with live music provided by students from Arohanu Strings and brilliant speakers from local businesses, activists and the NZ green party. I especially liked that they were focusing on actions each of us can take to mitigate and become more resilient to inevitable changes. Specifically, ideas and solutions around food waste, composting and urban farms were touching a nerve in me.
One of my paintings on display was the “Cry of the Kauri” which highlights the silent voice of nature, crying out for help. These majestic and enormous trees are threatened by a very small organism – a fungus that leaves them withering away, dying one by one. Kauris were around long before the first humans set foot on the land and now need our protection from no-one less than ourselves.
Cry of the Kauri (Fortissimo) – 122cm x 91cm, NZD 2,400
I am grateful I could be part in this event. In the end, it is all about changing our habits and behaviour. A cultural change on a global level is only achieved step by step – but the steps better be fast. In my opinion, there is no one hundred percent answer to the question about the perfect path. Every action causes an effect in many other areas that we might not even be aware of. Sometimes the choice is between “The vegan meal in a plastic wrap” or the “No-plastic-involved Cage Chicken Salad”. But starting to be conscious about these problems is the first step to take.
I am so excited to share this new event with you. I was very busy painting in the past months and want to invite you to dive into my new art.
Theme: Nature´s silent song When: Wednesday, 13 until Sunday, 31 March 2019 Where: The Kiwi Art House Gallery, 288 Cuba Street, te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand 6011.
Nature’s song goes unheard: it can be joyful, calming, powerful or sad. Its lyrics flow silently, covered by the eternal song of flora, fauna and the elements.
This exhibition combines two parts that are normally shown in isolation and are very polarised. One part is nature, untouched and stunning, inviting us to discover feelings of peace and freedom. On the other side we see pollution, desolation and disrespect for our environment. But both sides belong to the same world we are living in.
The technique that I use for mostly all the displayed artwork is acrylic fluid pouring. Even though I have mastered to control the technique to give it intended shapes and forms the outcomes are sometimes surprising. Paint can sink underneath another layer in the drying process, depending on its density and shift the colours. I personally love the cells and dynamics it is creating in every single piece!
Together with #thekiwiarthousegallery I love to invite you to reflect on nature’s beauty and its struggles and to fine-tune your ears to hear Nature’s silent song in the future.
This first solo exhibition is now over and it was a success through and through! If you have an amazing partner that supports you all the way through in a patient loving way and energetic, supportive friends, a great experience turns into something magical! So many helping hands were there for me this weekend that I still feel like I’m floating in clouds (and i don’t care if that sounds cheesy). 💕 With them the event could run smoothly, looked amazing and I felt their support always present even if and when I was busy explaining my art to all the visitors coming in!
Thanks for everyone who supported me by being there, thinking of me if you were far away, driving down all the way from Auckland to be at my opening, taking gorgeous photos or surprising me with an interview to create an amazing short movie!
And thank you for everyone who came in and had a look at my art, was interested in the stories behind and especially thank you to everyone who gave 5 pieces a new home!
You all made this first solo show a magical successful experience!
Mirror You – reflecting your inner world Solo Art Exhibition Diana Treeborn
“Mirror You – reflecting your inner world” – what’s that? you might wonder
This is the theme of my first Solo Art Exhibition and I am thrilled to invite you along! 🙂 Bring some time and imagination because what you will see in any of the displayed paintings mostly depends on you. 🙂 My aim, when I do art, is to show you that if you and I look at the same image, we might see something different. Memories and imagination you bring into this show will be reflected by my artwork and shape your experience.
Who am I and how many am I? Organising a Solo Art Exhibition requires many skills (An artist’s perspective)
This week before the exhibition is a very busy one for me. It is a positive and overwhelming experience because I am performing so many different roles at the moment. I am:
The Artist: doing the basic stuff like painting haha
The Marketing Manager: organise print material, business cards, etc.
Website Administrator: keeping everything up to date
Social Media Specialist: feeding my Instagram Account #hummingart_ and Facebook
The Accountant: I try to make best use of my resources and stop myself from overdoing it (that can be quiet a challenge – I have so many ideas!)
The Administrator: Hmm…those hooks need buying, and the powerbank for my lightbox is still missing. Labeling stickers that go next to the artwork on the wall are needed! Ooh, a guest book would be a great idea! Those Easels want to be picked up at one point. (I should really start to put such things into my calendar). I just organised a BNZ Payclip so you can buy on the spot if you fall in love with one of my works. Those examples should give you a pretty good idea of the Artist Admin stuff 🙂
The Promotion Girl: Putting those flyers into work by walking around the city and ask each store, bar, restaurant, coffee shop, hairdresser, etc. if they would show my flyers is fun and entertaining. But I have to admit it is harder for me than I thought. Especially the part of face to face flyer delivery on the street to people passing by confronts me with my comfort zone every single time. But I received amazing and very supportive reactions from Wellington business owners and people on the street! Wellington is an amazing city at heart. Maybe you landed on this website because you met me handing out flyers on the street 😉
The Event Organiser: setup and preparation on site for the event
The-Whatever-Else-You-Can-Imagine: the list can go on and on! Take a pick 🙂
I will write another post of how to organise an art exhibition after the big event because I think it is worth sharing! 🙂
My heroes!
Nothing would be possible without helping hands. For one my boyfriend who is my personal IT specialist and “energy bank” when I run out of it. Also so many thanks to the #whitehousesuite which is giving me the opportunity to use this awesome location for my Solo Art Exhibition! My friend who helped me create the flyer is priceless. Those nice and constructive critics on my Website from friends and family help me improve every day! And a couple of my awesome friends are going to give me a hand setting up everything the evening before the exhibition and in the morning of the opening. Two of my friends even nightbus down from Auckland to see my show!
All of this is what makes this experience already super special.
The weekend 23 – 24 June will be a big moment where I want to share around 14 pieces of my artwork and all that surrounds them with friends, family and everyone who is interested in stopping by! 🙂 I can’t wait and am looking forward to seeing you there. Just pop in during or after a nice walk along Oriental Bay.
I applied again for an art exhibition in Wellington at the NZAFA after having a little break from exhibitions and galleries middle of 2017 / beginning of 2018. And I was super thrilled when one of my paintings was elected again. This time for the NZAFA Autumn Exhibition 2018. The preparation for it takes some time.
First: the selection of the paintings I wanted to submit was not easy. What would fit the overall theme of the exhibition? Second: After I made my choice, labels, descriptions etc. needed to be prepared. Third: Setting an accurate price is crucial.
The jellyfish painting fascinated people attending the show and kept me engaged in conversations throughout the whole openening night. 🙂
English 
Spanish
You must be logged in to post a comment.