watercolour

Happy 2nd Annaversary

| Anna Cull

My little blog turned two today. Wow ― has it really been two years since I started blogging? I thought I’d mark the occasion by making a list of my top ten arty milestones (my personal favourites) from the last year. Click on the images to view the original posts…

Getting seriously out of my comfort zone with wacky colours and peculiar perspectives
Getting seriously out of my comfort zone with wacky colours and peculiar perspectives
Creating my first abstract painting
Creating my first abstract painting
Photographing some of my favourite sketches in situ
Photographing some of my favourite sketches in situ
Appreciating the generosity of other bloggers (my thanks to Poppy for providing the reference photo for this sketch)
Appreciating the generosity of other bloggers (my thanks to Poppy for providing the reference photo for this sketch)
Tackling a favourite subject of one of my art heroes
Tackling a favourite subject of one of my art heroes
Upcycling an unusual family heirloom (a threadbare tea towel), a very personal project
Upcycling an unusual family heirloom (a threadbare tea towel), a very personal project
Anna Cull Tram
Being inspired by other artists…
...to see the world with fresh eyes
…to see the world with fresh eyes
Realising that thick paint and black outlines can make a subject look more realistic (it still seems counterintuitive to me... but it reallly does work)
Discovering the magic of bold outlines
Painting on a stretched canvas for the first time
Painting on a stretched canvas for the first time

So there you are… all in all, I’d call that a very productive year. Thanks for reading.

Honouring our past

| Anna Cull

Anna Cull Earthquake editorial quote

“If we do not honour our past, we lose our future. If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow.” Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Commemorating the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in which 185 people lost their lives. Many homes, businesses and heritage buildings were destroyed. We are still a city in recovery. This is a period in history which will, no doubt, be remembered as both the breaking and the making of our city.

In the style of… Aubrey Hammond

| Anna Cull
The Press – ink, watercolour pencil and digital, 190 x 140 mm, 2014
The Press – ink, watercolour pencil and digital, 190 x 140 mm, 2014
The Press, Christchurch, 2010
The Press, Christchurch, 2010

Getting inspired by the 1920s…

Aubrey Hammond

Book cover (1927) and London Underground poster (1923) Images from www.sf-foundation.org and www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk
Aubrey Hammond – book cover (1927) and London Underground poster (1923)
Images from www.sf-foundation.org and www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk

British artist Aubrey Hammond (1894–1940) is responsible some of my favourite1920s London Underground posters. He also illustrated several books and taught commercial and theatrical design. I think his cover for Metropolis, Thea von Harbou’s novel designed to complement the movie (co-written with husband Fritz Lang), is simply stunning.

In the style of… appears occasionally instead of my regular Shoot it, Sketch it posts. Using my own photographs as a starting point, I’m drawing inspiration from some of the world’s greatest illustrators. It’s not about slavishly copying someone else’s art; it’s an experiment in seeing things differently.