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Newsletter #2
Happy New Year to my friends, family, colleagues, artists, patrons and random associates!
It’s the second day of the year and it’s time to tell you what’s been happening and what is in store for 2022. Last year was life altering for so many around the world. It certainly was for me and I am now in a place where I am excited to see what the future holds and truly grateful for all the people and experiences that have been a part of my life this far.
NEW JOB!
I have a new part-time job working at Turning Point Trust as an Employment and Career Support worker. Yes, this is the same organization Julie works for, but we are in different buildings and different departments. It is only Monday and Tuesday so I will have a good chunk of time for my creative pursuits.
ART UPDATE:
There are lots of things cooking in the studio but the one I want to mention first is a local landscape series that extends an older body of work. In 2010 I exhibited a group of 10 paintings that delved into the history and cultural significance of the geography of Tauranga, utilising traditional geometric tukutuku structures overlaid with translucent landscape images to explore the harmonics of pattern, narrative and European colonial traditions of landscape painting. I was really proud of these works, but none of them sold during the exhibition which felt like a massive failure. Thankfully, they have all now sold and over the years I have had lots of great feedback supporting this idea.
Since then, I have continued to research local history and have spent a good many hours cycling all around this beautiful area I am grateful to call home. I love getting out of town and up in the hills. I recently read a book on Zen meditation written by a Neurologist who explained that looking up and out into distant landscapes triggers a shift in our thinking to become calm, future focused and not so tormented by our immediate dilemmas. I’m still working out the structure and painterly approach for these works but here’s a preview:
ST LUKES LITURGICAL CALENDAR
I have been dreaming and hoping for this project for a long time and it looks like we will be making it happen this year! It still needs a bit more fundraising to make it happen, but I am well underway with the research and development phase. The idea is a large illustrated liturgical calendar that displays the traditional periods in the Christian year with a bespoke southern hemisphere and St Lukes flavour (St Lukes is a church in Tauranga that I am a part of). Each corner represents an astronomical season with landscape elements (Mauao, Ruapehu) that are specific to where we are in the world. Joseph (the Pastor) frequently uses Christian art in his sermon slideshows and appreciates the wealth of beauty and wisdom that resides in the traditions of embodying the image of God. I’m fizzing about this because it has iconography, lettering, landscape, ancient symbols and decorative embelishments. It will connect me with a long lineage of artists who have served and enthralled through careful craftmanship.
EXHIBITION OPENING JANUARY 21!
TAG Team lives on! Thanks to everyone who came to our inaugural TAG Team exhibition at Gallery Te Puna last year. We had a great time and sold some works! We have been asked to present a new batch of work at the Incubator Creative Hub https://www.theincubator.co.nz
Jan 21 - Feb 13 2022 at The Peoples Gallery, Historic Village, 17th Avenue, Tauranga. Opening will be 5:30pm on Friday the 21st. Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/tagteam_groupshow/ for updates. Some of my new local landscape studies will be on display.
SIGNPAINTING UPDATE:
I have lots of ideas for lettering projects and commercial signs that will be taking shape in the near future. Follow these as they happen: https://www.instagram.com/tauranga_signpainter/.
I need to refine a design I’m working on that will be a business logo, hand painted onto my car and printed onto business cards.
But first I need to complete another sign for Julie at Art + Body Tattoo / Ta Moko / creative space. https://www.instagram.com/artbodycreative/
It will have the same lettering I designed for the other signs. Here is the concept sketch below:
HOUSE FOR SALE!
Another one of my side hustles is real estate! Not really, some family friends asked me if I could photograph and manage the listing, viewing, and hosting of their house for sale. It’s a great place! You should buy it. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/property/residential/sale/listing/3387461682?bof=QqHFB3JH
NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON!
Chris and the team at CG Design are building me a fancy new website with integrated ecommerce and CRM. Hopefully Newsletter #3 will come from that platform and you will have the opportunity to share or unsubscribe. The website will have a gallery of my art, lettering, and a shop page for you to directly purchase original works and limited-edition prints. For now, keep an eye on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/duanemoyle/
NEW PHONE NUMBER!
021 268 2316 change it now. Call me sometime! Let me install your art!
Quote for the day:
Despite our turmoil, there is so much to be grateful for
Love,
Duane
