Latest News
Newsletter # 6
Newsletter # 6
15.07.2022
Greetings friends, family, supporters and patrons!
This week I have Covid... It has been tough. The usual symptoms but also sleeplessness and my head isn't working right so this newsletter might get crazy. It seems like the negative self talk has been amplified and expanded. Which got me to thinking about self employment. I am definitely glad to be steering my own waka but I can be a mean boss. I have high standards of production and often impossible expectations of productivity, all while endeavouring to be the best Dad / husband / friend and well rounded, healthy individual. I spend a lot of time encouraging clients at Turning Point to celebrate the progress of small steps in the right direction, but I expect my own growth to be astronomical. It takes a conscious, meditative effort to stop and recognise the manic, negative critic and remind myself that I'm living a dream, making great work and I have plenty of time.
The St Lukes Liturgical Calendar is looking great. I have nearly finished the summer corner and have made good progress on Autumn and added more content to the Icon circle. The centre will be a semi-traditional Pantokrator style icon of Jesus that will be mostly drawn from Eastern Orthodox examples, but also acknowledging
that all of my training and visual preferences are rooted in Western European art history. Surrounding Jesus is Alpha Omega and dove wings to symbolise God the Father and Holy Spirit. Weighty concepts to be dealing with but made manageable by centuries of artistic traditions and accepted practices. Next will be finishing Summer and Autumn, the upper frame before inverting the whole thing to paint winter and spring and the lower frame section. If you had asked me in February, I would have said this painting will be done by July. But there is no deadline so I can flex my time to accomodate other projects as they arise to keep some cash coming in.
A few weeks ago I made a pilgrimage to Auckland to visit my best patron (brother Jarrod ;), collect supplies from Studio Art Supplies, and to see the Icon exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery with my good friend and art mentor Richard Mathieson. It is a truly breathtaking collection of exquisite works from anonymous craftsmen creating works for completely different reasons to contemporary artists. Vanity, egoism, chaos, originality, and flamboyant virtuosity are exchanged for purity, harmony, simplicity, reverence and a faithful adherence to previous archetypes. The weird proportions and naive execution still catches me, but I am beginning to understand that an Icon is a revelation and a prayer, a physical aide to invisible splendour.
Signpainting has also been happening! I was asked to paint the Masthead for Midnight Sun, a massive artwork by Sara Hughes that surrounds the Tauranga Art Gallery, commissioned by Supercut Projects and Tauranga City Council. Design was taken care of by the brilliant Area Design so I had to bring my sharpest execution skills to do it justice. I also did a quick sign for my colleagues at Turning Point who run a native plant nursery from Taniwha Street in the Historic Village. Call in there for some great deals!
See Tauranga Signpainter for more.
I had the pleasure of installing some great art with a challenging placement. The artwork was 1.7 x 3m and the only wall tall enough was in the stairwell. The best and safest solution would be a scaffold - but also pricy and would involve delays and co-ordination. So I made a stair levelling platform so I could just use my regular ladder! It worked a treat and allowed me to get the hanging mechanisms securely into the studs at just the right height.
I have also been asked to do some illustrations for Andrew Corin who has written an excellent work of historic fiction that he hopes to publish early 2023. These are just some draft sketches for the chapter title pages and I'm enjoying the challenge of researching and trying different media to capture the essence of this great story.
duanemoyle.co.nz
I have limited edition prints and 12 original artworks available to purchase immediately. For those who live in Tauranga, shipping costs will pay for delivery and installation!
Please share this with anyone and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for updates
