ella thomas

This is a record of my art making, the experiences that I have in everyday life that inspire me and a document of the paintings that I produce. Sometimes I will mention different facts or stories that bear some relevance to manu / birds and New Zealand native flora. One of the key ideas within my work is the celebration of the uniqueness of the native species within Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

another in the hand . . .


Toutouwai Pango Toitiiti 2011




Toutouwai Pango Toitiiti
2011
150mm x 150mm x 35mm
Archival acrylic and water colour on canvas


















detail
Another iti treasure in the hand. This little toutoutwai, or black robin was carefully layered up using blues and brown, upon a mid grey base. No black was actually used in the painting of this manu so the depth of the colour is the result of many layers of washes, in a manner akin to oil paint glazes. I have heightened the contrast in colour in her feathers for dramatic effect.

I keep thinking of this character as Little Blue seeing as it is highly likely that she is a descendant of Old Blue.





You will be able to view her in more detail on Toggle where she is available for purchase
http://www.toggle.co.nz/ella-thomas.html

The inspiration behind this series of work can be read here . . .
http://ellaquaint.blogspot.com/2011/02/bird-in-hand-is-kind-of-cranky.html
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About Me

My photo
Auckland, New Zealand
Ella Thomas is a contemporary artist who lives in Auckland, Aotearoa. She is of Ngapuhi descent and has a passion for the beauty of the whenua (land), the sea and for the unique flora and fauna of New Zealand. The concepts that are explored within Ella's work are based upon notions of conservation, ecological balance and extinction. Her paintings often feature nostalgic patterns reminiscent of the mid to late 1800's, the era when European colonization occurred. It was during this time that many unique species of birds became extinct. The rarer a bird became, the more prized a specimen of it became. Alive or dead. Much of Ella's paintings are celebrations of the unique character of our surviving taonga (treasures). Ella has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and has been working within arts related industries for many years. She has paintings in collections nationwide, Australia, England and the USA. Finally the plunge has been taken and Ella has committed herself to fulfilling a dream, that of becoming a full-time artist.