Tag Archives: DONNA sTEEL CONTEMPORARY ARTIST

Birds For Sale at Cafe’ Mint

Posted on May, 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Piwauwau - Rock Wren*Piwauwau* (Rock Wren)

Acrylic

100mm x 100mm

For Sale

$55.00

This Artwork can be viewed and purchased from

Cafe Mint

2 Beckford Road, St Martins

Christchurch

Just a little info on these truly beautiful birds!!

These Tiny rock wrens or Piwauwau are approx 10 centimetres long, from its bill to the end of its very distinct short tail. These we birds are found above the treeline, between 900 and 2,500 metres altitude. They live under large boulders at the foot of screes and rock falls. In summer rock wrens hop and buzz about on short rounded wings, feeding on insects or collecting materials to build their nests.  Once winter snows arrive, they survive in pockets of space in their rock or scrub shelter.  Rock wrens fly close to the ground, their flights rarely exceeding 30 metres.  They move astonishingly quickly, diving in and out of crevices. On the ground they bob energetically up and down, flicking their wings.

"Kea"

“Kea”

Acrylic

100mm x 100mm

For Sale

$55.00

Here is a little info on this cheeky wee bird!

The call of ke-aa ringing through the air is deeply evocative of New Zealands Southern Alps. Kea are parrots that have adapted to life in the mountains. Kea are either loved for their elaborate antics or disliked for the damage they can do. Their intelligent curiosity equips them well for the harsh conditions in which they live. Kea investigate anything and everything with their immensely strong beaks, tongues, and hand-like claws. They work out how to open all sorts of containers, particularly rubbish bins, in search of titbits. In mountain huts and villages it is a challenge to devise a kea-proof container. Residents who leave doors open may return to find upholstery and mats shredded

Cafe’ Mint

2 Beckford Road

St Martins

Kowhai Charms

Acrylic

Beautiful NZ Tui.

For Sale $140.00

These Artworks can be viewed and purchased from

Cafe’ Mint

Wairakei Road

Burnside

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Posted in Art for Sale - BIRDS & BUTTERFLIES

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Latest Landscapes For Sale – Cafe’ Mint

Posted on May, 9, 2012 | Leave a comment
MT HUTT
MT HUTT
 Oil on canvas
 200mm x 1000mm
FOR SALE
$870.00
Artwork Inspired by a Photograh I took of Mt Hutt…. just after a large dumping of snow!! what  a beautiful mountain !!
LAST SNOWFALLLAST SNOWFALL
Oil on Canvas
200mm x 900mm
 FOR SALE
$750.00
Artwork Inspired by a photograph I took whilst standing by some wetlands, and all I could see in the distance was one wee last amount of snow on the mountains!

760mm x 255mm x 40mm

Acrylic Mixed Media

For Sale

$690.00

Takamatua, a lovely Bay in the Banks Peninsula on the way to Akaroa…  There are lovely Wineries around this area… well worth a visit!  The vines and leaves inspired by grapevines and the vineyards around Banks Peninsula and hand sculptured using my signature 2d style with genuine 24c gold leaf rubbed over the leaves!

TEKAPO Tekapo

Acrylic on Canvas

300mm x 1200mm

FOR SALE
$980.00
Artwork Inspired by a road trip I took to down Central Otago, stopping at Lake Tekapo and Wanaka and  Queenstown!
I took hundreds of photos and this artwork is based on one of those photographs taken from inside the Church of the Good Shepherd Tekapo, hence the cross!
Harakeke Gold

Harakeke Gold

Acrylic Mixed Media

Diptych 200mm x 400mm  Total Size = 400mm x 400mm
FOR SALE
$450.00
Artwork -  Inspired by some photos I took of the wetlands in Canterbury and the harakekes that grow there.
Acrylic background with a  2d textured Harakeke Plant in the foreground( created using my unique signature 2d technique),  the colours in this artwork are very warm and subtle, dark greys, blues, gold,bronze and coppers.
All these artworks can be Viewed and Purchased at
Cafe’ Mint
Wairakei Road
Burnside

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Posted in Art for Sale - LANDSCAPE

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Portraits – How I see … What I paint ….

Posted on April, 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here I have posted portraits that I have based people or portraits that have been done before….

1) This portrait was inspired by my visit to the Louvre … I love anything to do with Egypt ! not sure why I am so fixated with Egypt but I love anything Egyptian ….

So this portrait I have created was inspired by a wax painting on wood ,Funerary portrait of a young woman known as “Portrait of the Faiyum”

I have painted this on Hot Press Paper using Golden Acrylic Paint.

Portrait of the Faiyum

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Portraits – Pulled Art

Posted on April, 14, 2012 | 6 Comments

Inspired by a tutortial by Mystele via www.willowingart.org

Portraits Pulled Art -  I have started with a blank canvas as you would say in this case a blank sheet of  watercolour paper .

Pulled art simply implies to what image you can pull from the background… I have written words, scribbled and made heaps of different shapes onto the paper, (using, pencils and pastels and acrylic paint) and then continued to do this with several layers until I am happy with what I see…  then I have Pulled a Portrait out of the shapes that have appeared through the top layer…  You can pull any picture out of this, but I am just working on creating all different types of portraits at this stage so I am looking for any type of facial features I can see, like a nose lips eyes etc… so here are a couple of my Not so Beautiful Beauties …..

Green with Envy

Going around in Circles

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Gel Medium Workshop 24th March 2012 – Book Now!

Posted on March, 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

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Posted in Donna's handy Art tips

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Create this Cool Marbling effect with Shaving Foam and Golden Air Brush Colours

Posted on March, 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

Ok this is a great way to create a lovely Marbling effect!

Material List – Paper, Shaving Foam, Spatula Pallet knife, fork and skewer, Newspaper, heaps of handy towels, Golden Air Brush Colours. (Air Brush acrylics have a very thin viscosity and are very close to ink like!)

1) Start off with two pieces of Paper, the same size .

2) Spray some Shaving Foam onto the first piece of paper, and then spread it out with a pallet knife ( shaving foam needs to be approx 1cm in-depth) mmm its just like icing a cake lol

3) Drop some Golden Air Brush colours onto the shaving Foam, maybe to start with pick 4 or 5 colours, dropping about 5 drops per colour.

4) Once you have all your colours dropped onto your shaving foam, then use your (fork, spatula, pallet knife or skewer) whatever you have to move the paint around, swirl it, zig zag it, make patterns, words whatever you like.

5) Now that you have done this, place the other piece of paper down onto the painted shaving foam and press or Burnish really well, Yip this is messy, as some of the excess shaving foam will spill out the sides … but it is important that you do press and rub firmly, when you are done then peel back the top paper and place down in front of you!

6) Now using your paper towels, wipe off all the Shaving Foam from that paper, and you will be left looking at a very Cool Marble Paper !!

Wolaa !

Play around with using all different kinds of colour, and tools to make the designs.  Here is one that I have made and painted some cocoons and Butterflies on…

“Evolve – A Journey”

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What is Interference colour ??

Posted on February, 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ok what is Interference Colour? Interference paint comes in Fluid or Heavy Body (in a tube) – simply put it is a paint when viewed from different perspectives the colour flips! Interference colours are quite unique. When painted over a Light background, the colour will “Flip” as you move it in the light. When painted over a dark surface, the colour of the Interference reveals itself. These “pigments” are a copy of naturally occurring colour in butterfly wings and bird features. To get the maximum effect, extend Interference colours with Transparent mediums, such as Polymer Medium (Gloss) or Soft Gel s, such as Polymer Medium(Gloss) or Soft Gel(Gloss)

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Strung Along – Abstract mixed media on Paper

Posted on February, 16, 2012 | Leave a comment
“Strung Along” Mixed Media on Paper

300mm x 420mm

This Artwork was created on Acid Free Paper.  This artwork will need to be framed.

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Posted in Art for Sale - ABSTRACTS, Art for Sale- REMEMBERING CHRISTCHURCH

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Zentangles – No.1 Forever Love

Posted on February, 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

What is a Zentangle?

Zentangles are fun and relaxing, you can create them anywhere anytime!  Creating these Zentangles helps to increase your focus, and creativity and helps to promote personal well-being!

To find out more about these wonderful Inspirational artworks click here :)  check out www.zentangle.com

Zentangle No.1 Forever Love

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Posted in Donna's Zentangles

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Handy Art Tips – Meths

Posted on January, 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

My Art Tip of the Week – Meths

What can you use to get rid of those troublesome bubbles that can appear in your Gel Mediums ?

When applying gel mediums for example Self leveling gel and sometimes you get little air bubbles all through the gel… just give them a quick spray of Meths…. and wolaaa the bubbles will disappear ! 

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