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| Toutouwai in progress |
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| Tauhou in progress |
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| Christmas Tui |
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| Kotare in blue |
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| Christmas Riroriro |
Showing posts with label riroriro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label riroriro. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Festive Manu
Here is a sneak preview of some of the gorgeous, new manu that I have painted for the Auckland Art and Craft Fair that is happening this Saturday.
If hitting the malls to do your Christmas shopping seems a bit hideous, come along and see all of the fabulous wares . . . Auckland Art and Craft Fair blog.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Riroriro
Riroriro / grey warblers are still among my favourite birds. I think that it is their resiliance that appeals to me. An earlier posting goes into detail about how special these birds are.
The riroriro despite their other name, aren't just grey, many different subtle hues occur within the feathers. I have tried very hard to layer up subtle changes of colour to achieve are similar effect when you view it from a couple of feet away.
As well as many other fabulous kiwi designs and art objects, you can see more images of Riroriro Iti on
http://www.toggle.co.nz/ella-thomas.html
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| 'Riroriro Iti' 2011 |
As well as many other fabulous kiwi designs and art objects, you can see more images of Riroriro Iti on
http://www.toggle.co.nz/ella-thomas.html
Sunday, February 3, 2008
manuka riroriro 2008
The little riroriro (grey warbler) was awarded 'Bird of the Year' in 2007. It is quite an amazing little bird, despite pipiwharauroa (shining cuckoo) parasitism riroriro are still quite common. Instead of having just one breeding round during spring, riroriro actually have two, one of them being earlier than that of the pipiwharauroa. This has enabled them to survive where other birds wouldn't have. They also adapt quickly to most environments, even in suburbia. I was lucky enough to see one on Tiritiri Matangi, they are so small(about 100mm) and delightful. Initially I mistook it for a rifleman, but later found out that there are none on the island.
Triptych, 3 canvases 205mm x 405mm x 35mmArchival acrylics and gesso on canvas
I am really happy with how these paintings turned out. The subtle layering worked well, riroriro colouring and feathers are just beautiful. Manuka flowers and the darker branches proved to be the ideal backdrop for the triptych.
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About Me
- ella thomas
- 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.