 Old Number One |
| My Inspiration |
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| Bush Maiden Brooch Created as a tribute to the early Romantic painters of the 1800's (some of whom never visited NZ) who visualised New Zealand as a lush tropical paradise populated by beautiful maidens, ( and visualised/painted men in Roman type toga's and young Maori women in bonnets with European features) But who also had early Christian ideas (and maybe fantasies) about converting the whole of New Zealand to European Christianity. It was also a tribute to my Father's stories of The Bush Maidens who lonely Miners and Hunters might imagine populated the New Zealand Bush in the early European pioneering days. I understand there are even earlier Maori legends of a pale skinned Fairy people who (as in European legends)sometimes lived with mortal spouses for a period of time and this may be a very interesting aspect to research. The Bush Maiden Brooch is a combination of acid - etched Brass/ painted/fired with low fIreChina painting enamel "paint" and riveted onto a handmade (and pressed) copper brooch back. Bush Maiden was rejected for Exhibition when first offered to its first Exhibition - but I took some advice and represented it in a different format and when presented to a second Exhibition it was awarded a third prize So all of you out there struggling to have your work recognised - don't give up! especially if you are really pleased with something - it may be necessary to look at your work from a different perspective (or get someone else too) occassionally but keep trying!! |
