For Christmas DH got me possibly the most special and original gift ever. He commissioned a piece of art by Pilbara-based artist Natalie Briney, whose art I came across when I was covering the local annual art exhibition PACT (Pilbara Artists Coming Together) for a local paper last year. I loved her work on sight and immediately sought her out for a short interview for the paper.
After that I spent several months obsessing about owning one of her wonderful paintings, and Christmas provided the perfect excuse.
Heavily influenced by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Briney nonetheless puts her own wonderfully refreshing, feminine and unique stamp on the work, to create beautiful and extremely individual pieces.
I'm not an art critic - my knowledge of art doesn't extend beyond the Leaving Cert - but I think that the future holds great things for Briney. I hope so, since I own an original!
In times where, let's face it, there's very little we want for, a commissioned piece of art is a brilliant idea for a truly unique gift. When the iPads or glittery shoes are long gone, the artwork will endure to be passed on to the next generation.
The painting is below and really, the photo doesn't even do the original justice - there are layers and texture in this piece that bring it to life, and it brightens up what otherwise would be a very dull, dark living room in our 70s mining bungalow.
The piece is called Gemini Fridas and is loosely based on the tweenager and me (see on the left the girl has 'E' stamped on her dress - that's for Emily, I'm on the right - 'C' for Claire...) and offers up a sort of challenge to us, since we spend most of our relationship arguing. Perhaps it can serve as a sort of Picture of Dorian Grey; as we bicker on in real life, our painting snuggles in for a closer hug.
Being immortalised in your own commissioned piece makes one feel like a latter-day Catherine de Medici - a patron for the arts so to speak - and I for one shall expect DH to reach such dizzy heights in the gift-buying stakes from now on.
For more information, check out Natalie's blog http://nats-ramblings.blogspot.com.au/
or like her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NatalieRBriney?fref=ts
After that I spent several months obsessing about owning one of her wonderful paintings, and Christmas provided the perfect excuse.
Heavily influenced by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Briney nonetheless puts her own wonderfully refreshing, feminine and unique stamp on the work, to create beautiful and extremely individual pieces.
I'm not an art critic - my knowledge of art doesn't extend beyond the Leaving Cert - but I think that the future holds great things for Briney. I hope so, since I own an original!
In times where, let's face it, there's very little we want for, a commissioned piece of art is a brilliant idea for a truly unique gift. When the iPads or glittery shoes are long gone, the artwork will endure to be passed on to the next generation.
The painting is below and really, the photo doesn't even do the original justice - there are layers and texture in this piece that bring it to life, and it brightens up what otherwise would be a very dull, dark living room in our 70s mining bungalow.
The piece is called Gemini Fridas and is loosely based on the tweenager and me (see on the left the girl has 'E' stamped on her dress - that's for Emily, I'm on the right - 'C' for Claire...) and offers up a sort of challenge to us, since we spend most of our relationship arguing. Perhaps it can serve as a sort of Picture of Dorian Grey; as we bicker on in real life, our painting snuggles in for a closer hug.
Being immortalised in your own commissioned piece makes one feel like a latter-day Catherine de Medici - a patron for the arts so to speak - and I for one shall expect DH to reach such dizzy heights in the gift-buying stakes from now on.
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| Gemini Fridas by Natalie Briney |
For more information, check out Natalie's blog http://nats-ramblings.blogspot.com.au/
or like her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NatalieRBriney?fref=ts
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