Life is too short to blend in

February 3, 2015October 2, 2022 | Anna Cull

Galah, Australia – original photograph, 2014; Galah, pencil sketch – study for painting, 2015

Sometimes the only opportunity to take photographs is from the back seat of a moving vehicle. No time to think ― just point and click. It helps if you are really quick and a little bit lucky. When you see the original shot prior to cropping (below), you could be forgiven for thinking that there was nothing much in this scene worth painting…

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…but I zoomed in and used the scribble sketch to figure out my composition. I’m now painting the landscape and building up lots of lovely textures, and then I’ll have to figure out the best way to paint the cockatoo — too realistic and he won’t have the sense of fun I want to create; too abstract and no one will know he’s a bird. Wish me luck : )

What you see

December 12, 2014January 9, 2019 | Anna Cull

The Purple Garden — acrylic on canvas, 102 x 102 mm, 2014. For sale. — The Purple Garden — acrylic on canvas, 102 x 102 mm, 2014

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” Henry David Thoreau

The little painting with a lot of texture (a lot of texture!) — based on an acrylic study originally posted here.

Deep significance

November 28, 2014November 20, 2014 | Anna Cull

Random texture 5 — acrylic on plastic, 2014

“As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance.” Calvin and Hobbes

Design time

September 16, 2014June 24, 2020 | Anna Cull

During my break from blogging last month, I was given the opportunity to create a couple of logos. One client wanted a design based on water, the other client asked for a ‘rising sun’ graphic — and this is what I came up with:

Ruth wanted her Relax Restore Massage logo (above) to be simple and modern and to represent the soothing and healing aspects of her massage therapy business. The river lines were hand-drawn, scanned and converted into a vector graphic. They also became the background pattern for Ruth’s gift vouchers and Facebook cover.

Julian asked for his design (below) to communicate potential, strength, growth, moving through obstacles and breaking new ground to become unstuck. He says that the services he offers can be quite challenging for people and not always ‘relaxing’ in the traditional sense. He also wanted a dramatic panorama for his website banner. The banner landscape is an acrylic painting which I scanned and adjusted slightly (for dramatic effect) in Photoshop. I was so happy with the end result that I used it on the business cards and gift vouchers too.

Everything is important

September 5, 2014April 17, 2018 | Anna Cull

Anna Cull Sidetracked 2014 — Bluescape – acrylic on canvas, 102 x 102 mm, 2014. Sold.

“The best reason to paint is that there is no reason to paint… I’d like to pretend that I’ve never seen anything, never read anything, never heard anything… and then make something… Every time I make something I think about the people who are going to see it and every time I see something, I think about the person who made it… Nothing is important… so everything is important.” Keith Haring

This mini abstract ~~is now for sale~~ has now sold. At 4 x 4 inches, it’s the smallest canvas I’ve ever painted!

All around us

July 18, 2014July 7, 2014 | Anna Cull

Sparkle and Shine, detail — acrylic on canvas, 2013

“I found art walking along the water at sunrise, on the street… [and at the] Art Museum. I found it in conversation with peers, in sessions learning something new and in being in a different place if but for a short time to break the monotony and familiarity we build into our daily lives to keep us “safe.” It’s all around us ready to open our mind but more importantly our heart. To feel, to be jolted, to be thankful, to see light.” Kathie Pugaczewski blogging at Cast Light.