“Buttercup and Carrotcakes”

How did it possibly get to this..

As an Artist, there are some relevant stages that would like to share .

Last year of school in 1998, was led to explore cubism, made “Strawberry” here, and many others.

Also back then was introduced to gel medium, a textural enhancer that you can mix with paint and dries thicker but clear- loved it! Gel medium is a core aspect of “Buttercup and Carrotcakes”!

When creation began in 2020, had gone to buy some gel medium to work with on general other art, and accidentally bought modelling paste- that doesn’t dry clear, but does create texture.

Was not sure what to do with it.. And the rest is history.

Layers of gel medium were later also incorporated into the car bonnet art on top. The piece is made up of about 50 layers, of the modelling paste, types of paints, gel medium, and various varnishes.

The varnishes chosen also dry clear, well relatively- with soo many varnish layers it yellows a bit..

But not to worry, the piece was an artistic experiment, that is now a super exciting social experiment.

In 2004 was traveling in Italy, staying with a friend and her family.

We were heading south in a couple of weeks, so with time, painted “Piano” for them to say thanks!

Lemons are the regional fruit there in Piano Di Sorrento.

Beautiful historic buildings stacked tight in the village, not like New Zealand suburban blocks.

The piece is bathed in bright colours, as would see within the gelato store or stand.

It wasn’t crazy chunky but was deliberately textural, loved it!

Then in 2018 my son Arc and his mama- teammate Lin, lived at a hostel in Tirana, Albania, for more than a month.

There was a range of both nice and quite average mural art on the walls.

About 6 days before leaving, plucked up the courage to ask if i could create something..

Yes! And they had a stash of all kinds of paints and oil pastels and varnishes to play with!!

It began with Arc and I collaborating, after a couple of days he lost interest, I did not.

I was excited and obsessed and exploring with texture and drooling factors of wall art.

Was inspired in ways by “Piano”, yet instead of beautiful was ugly, instead of bright- dark.

A 4 day masterpiece! People said worth a mil. Owner and I joked about removing it from the wall.

But deliberately made it on the wall, instead of a panel offered, so that it could not be sold.

A year later a hostel worker painted over it without checking with the owner.

Apparently it made them uncomfortable when walked past it.

Truly art.. 😛

For the last few years, as well as writing hundreds of poems, have as always, been drawing art.

Sketching, but unusually for me with multiple pens, then detailing them into multiple bodies.

Hundreds of pieces- in this period experimenting with smudging, with spit onto finger.

This is the relevance, an aspect at the heart of the artwork.

“Buttercup”is a singular she bull.

“Carrotcakes” is a unicorn with a multiplying body.

The smudging was just a fun little fact.

Another fun little fact is that have never sold an original artwork or poem, from thousands forged.

Because, since 2005 have been deliberately holding out to start a nonprofit creative agency.

Anyhow, for now.

My performance poetry, believe it or not, is also huge part of the inspiration for this piece.

Who else would have the balls to drive around with this thing on hood, or at first start conceive creation.

It takes a thick skin and self belief, originality, perseverance, a chancer, an attention seeker.

In 2020 when.. Covid began. I was living in my car and Council made busking illegal on block for many months.

Street performance had become a huge part of me, and couldn’t express myself.

Had joked about doing graffiti on my peeling car bonnet..

Work was hard to find..

I had time..

It would never have come to life without what street performing has helped to resolve within me.

Especially across the about 5 months of creating it, when a positive outcome was often uncertain.

But yes!

At conclusion am super proud of my baby, there is nothing like it in the world.

Pieces like “Strawberry” inspired “Piano”.

“Piano” inspired the “Tirana Hostel Mural”.

The “Tirana Hostel Mural” inspired “Buttercup and Carrotcakes”.

Multiple bodies drawings inspired “Carrotcakes”.

Busking inspired the courage to start it, and grit to follow through on something uncertain.

There is more about “Buttercup and Carrotcakes” that would love to explain.

Like the process of how it was created.

From the arts of it parts, has been well documented with photo and video from the very start.

Like the plan for it.

Doing a fun little doco, asking public for a word, and sentence or two, of what people think of it.. (WILL BE CRAZY!!)

Taking it off, and doing a raffle, to found a nonprofit Regional Gallery and Creative Center!!!!

Inviting other small and big artists to contribute pieces, and all together create an arty history.

And to create an inspirational documentary of that process, from pie in the sky to eventual arts feast.

But lets keep this on point.

What inspired it.

And for now, that’s all i have to say about that..

Interviews are invited, print, radio, visual.

Patrons are invited, small and or big.

Volunteers are invited.